Musing – Did God make a Mistake?

 Hebraic Musing – Did God make a Mistake?

Our favorite plaque in our kitchen says “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, …. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 NIV   I’ve heard some contend that instead of God allowing us to choose, He could just as easily make all His creation His Children.  Why didn’t He just make us all to love Him? 

As I remember the childhood story of Pinocchio, there was a poor and lonely man named Geppetto who wanted a boy; so he made a marionette and named it Pinocchio.  Although Geppetto loved Pinocchio, his creation, he was disappointed that Pinocchio could not choose to return the love.  Sadly, Pinocchio was only a puppet.  Finally, Pinocchio was given life as a real live boy and could return Geppetto’s love.  Pinocchio could and did choose to love his creator, Geppetto!  And that made Geppetto very happy!  What a beautiful ending!  (This is how I remember the story of Pinocchio; not the Hollywood rendition.)

A simple truth jumps out at me.  While God indeed created us, He desperately wants our love in return.  He does not want puppets like Pinocchio.  So God had to provide the opportunity for us.  What did God have to do to show us His love for us?  “God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.  This is real love.  It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10  NLT

The requirement to choose who we will serve is found back in Deuteronomy 30:19 with God’s renewal of His covenant with His people. “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” NIV

Our Bible and history contain many examples of saints choosing to obey, choosing to make Jesus their Lord. 

·         Ruth - “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16 NIV 

·         Elijah - “How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21

·         Eleazar Ben Ya’ir’s final words as leader at Masada - “Since we long ago resolved never to be servants to the Romans, nor to any other than to God Himself, Who alone is the true and just Lord of mankind, the time is now come that obliges us to make that resolution true in practice.”

·         Peter & John - “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.  For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

And Jesus is awaiting our response.  “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Rev.3:20 NIV

SUMMARY – Did God make a mistake when He required us to choose?

Points to Ponder

What choices are we going to have to make in this life? 
How often do we make choices?

On which issues might we have to take a stand?

Maybe our most important power is our power to choose!

What does it take to choose Jesus as your LORD?

♫  Are you ready? Are you ready?  Are you ready for the judgment day? ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                     July 4, 2023
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”     Weekly “Hebraic Musings”    insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com